Friday 26 April 2013 19.04 EDT
First published on Friday 26 April 2013 19.04 EDT

Airstream Ranch, Dover

Cadillac Ranch is one of America's most famous works of guerilla art – 10 luxury cars buried nose-down in northern Texas. In Florida, Frank Bates decided to go one better: he buried eight Airstream caravans nose-down next to the I-4 freeway. He called it art, neighbours called it an eyesore, and local authorities called it advertising, as Bates also sells Airstreams for a living. Years of court battles followed, yet Bates ultimately prevailed. Although his foes will never concede that his Airstream Ranch is art, it has become a popular attraction on the busy Orlando-Tampa corridor.•Bates RV Exchange, 4656 Macintosh Road, Dover, +1 888 228 3778, batesrv.com

The Fountain of Youth, St Augustine

The Fountain of Youth, St Augustine Photograph: Alamy

The first tourist in Florida was Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer and conquistador. Legend has it that he came to find the fountain of youth, a natural spring that – by an amazing coincidence – was only a few steps from his ship's 1513 landing spot in St Augustine. The legend was vigorously promoted by "Diamond Lil" McConnell, who bought the "fountain of youth" property in 1904 and turned it into an attraction, selling its water-elixir for 10¢ a glass. The fountain has never run dry, and still sells water to tourists, although Florida's bloated population of retirees suggests that its powers may be overstated.• 11 Magnolia Avenue, St Augustine, +1 904 829 3168, fountainofyouthflorida.com. Open daily 9am-5pm, adults $12, children (6-12) $8, under-6s free, group rates available

Weeki Wachee Mermaids, Weeki Wachee

Photograph: Gary Bogdon/AP

Government and free enterprise in the US can be like oil and water. But the performing mermaids at Weeki Wachee were considered so valuable that Florida has protected them as a state treasure. Weeki Wachee is a spring with a submerged, glass-sided theatre. Since 1947, audiences have watched mermaid-costumed swimmers perform underwater ballets and drink fizzy drinks out of bottles – also underwater. The mermaids, who must pass rigorous training and tests to qualify, form an exclusive Florida sorority. The chance to pose with a finned female after a show is a high point for children.• Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 6131 Commercial Way, +1 352 592 5656, weekiwachee.com. Open daily 9am-5.30pm, mermaid shows at 11am, 1.30pm and 3pm, adults $13, children (6-12) $8, under-6s free

World's Largest Alligator, Christmas

World's Largest Alligator, Christmas Photograph: Alamy

In an effort to secure a "world's largest" title, the owners of Jungle Adventures animal farm ensured that they would have the biggest "alligator" by building one that doubles as their office and souvenir shop. "Swampy" is more than 200ft long, and an example of programmatic architecture – where a business designs a building that looks like its product. Swampy also upstages its hometown of Christmas, which draws attention to itself with a perpetually decorated tree and other Yuletide-theme attractions, but has a tough time trumping a 200ft-long alligator.• 26205 E Highway 50, Christmas, +1 407 568 2885, jungleadventures.com. Open daily 9.30am-5.30pm, adults $21.95, seniors (60+) $18.95, children (3-11) $14.95, under-3s free. Tax not included

Muffler Men, Tampa

Muffler Men, auto repair shop in Tampa, Florida Photograph: Alamy

In a highway society where roadside businesses compete to grab a driver's fleeting attention, Muffler Men have endured. These 20ft fibreglass titans were first built in the 1960s, their brawny arms configured to hold giant car silencers, axes, even golf clubs. Their eye-catching power could double sales – at least, that's what the statue manufacturer claimed. About 200 survive in America, modified over time for changing businesses and tastes. The owner of a chain of car-repair workshops in the Tampa area bought used Muffler Men from around the US, then accessorised each with a giant mechanic's wrench.• Original Muffler City Inc, 1210 East Fletcher Avenue, and also 2802 S 50th Street, Tampa; 13721 21st Street, Dade City; 4946 Gall Boulevard, Zephyrhills; +1 813 877 8361, bigmechanic.com

Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, Ochopee

Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, Ochopee Photograph: Alamy

As America's most-tracked-yet-elusive monster, Bigfoot appears in a number of regional variations. Florida's version is the Skunk Ape, a foul-smelling beast that lives in the swampy recesses of the Everglades. Two brothers, Dave and Jack Shealy, have been stalking the Skunk Ape for decades, and displaying their best evidence at the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, next to their trailer park and zoo. It's not all super-scientific, however; annual highlights at the Shealy compound include the Miss Skunk Ape contest and, in the fall, Skunktoberfest.• Trail Lakes Campground, 40904 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee, skunkape.info. Open daily 9am-5pm, admission free. Reptile and bird exhibit, adults $5, under-5s free

Grave of Flipper, the TV dolphin, Marathon

Grave of Flipper the TV dolphin, Marathon Photograph: Alamy

The star quality of Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, made a hit of the 1960s TV show that bore its name. Flipper, to the surprise of many fans, was originally played by a female dolphin named Mitzi, which was trained at Santini's Porpoise School. Mitzi could knock a prop gun out of a villain's hand with a well-timed leap, or chatter loudly when danger lurked. Mitzi died in 1972, and the porpoise school became the Dolphin Research Center, a serious-minded facility devoted to education and public awareness. But the first stop on its tour is always the statue that marks the grave of the most famous dolphin in history.• Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Highway, Marathon, +1 305 289 1121, dolphins.org. Open daily 9am-4.30pm, closed holidays, adults $20, children (4-12) $15, under-4s free

Goofy Golf, Panama City Beach

Photograph: Tino Soriano/National Geographic Society/Corbis

Miniature golf was invented elsewhere but it was arguably in 1950s Florida that it reached its artistic apex. Cement sculptors created elaborate hazards through which players had to navigate golf balls. The best surviving example is Goofy Golf, which has a blend of ancient monuments, space-age icons and a couple of monsters. • 12206 W Highway 98A, Panama City Beach, +1 850 862 4922, goofygolfpc.com. Open daily 9am-10pm, weather permitting, adults $8, under-4s free

Presidents Hall of Fame, Clermont

Americans have an unceasing urge to commune with their patriotic icons, and a thirst for trivia about their presidents. Florida's one-stop shop for both is the Presidents Hall of Fame. Visitors can pose in front of replicas of Mount Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial; and alongside wax models of past presidents and their first ladies. The museum's collection includes a seat from the theatre where Lincoln was shot, and a tray of cookies from the George W Bush White House. The Hall of Fame building resembles the White House, only with a large painting of Ronald Reagan on its side.•123 North Highway 27, Clermont, +1 352 394 2836, thepresidentshalloffame.com. Open Monday to Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm, adults $14, seniors $11.95, children (6-12) $6.95

Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Ocala

Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Ocala Photograph: Alamy

Drag racing is spiritually an American sport – glorying in power and fuel consumption – and Don Garlits is its Florida champion. Big Daddy, as he is known, lives next door to his museum, and his history includes strapping himself into a rocket on wheels, getting his foot blown off, and putting the shredded metal parts on display in the museum. The collection features more than 200 drag racers, but also personal items from Garlits, such as his boy scout merit badges and marbles collection. The fighter jet parked in front of the museum seems out of place, until you learn that Garlits once raced against one on the deck of an aircraft carrier.•13700 SW 16th Avenue, Ocala, +1 877 271 3278. garlits.com. Open daily 9am-5pm, except Christmas and Thanksgiving, adults $15, seniors (60 and over) $13, children (5-12) $6, under-5s free

Ken Smith and Doug Kirby are the editors of Roadsideamerica.com, a guide to more than 9,000 offbeat tourist sights in the US and Canada